Self-releasing starting crank



APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22. 1922.

Patented Dec. 5,1922.

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Patented Dec. 5, 1922.

SELF-RELEASING- STARTING CRANK.

Application filed March 22, 1922. Serial No. 545,841.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, NORMAN JAMns FRA- znr. SOMERVILLE, a subject of the King of Great Britain, of Erin Township, in the county of Wellington, Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Releasing Starting Cranks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in self-releasing starting cranks, and the object of my invention is to design a starting crank so that in case the engine back fires, the crank grasped by the hand will be almost immediately uncoupled from the crank shaft and so prevent any possibility of injury to the arm, and in the following specification I shall describe a disclosure within my invention, and what I claim as new will be set forth in the claims forming part of this specification.

Fig. 1 is a vertical central longitudinal section through my self-releasing starting crank, showing also portion of the engine casing in side elevation. Fig. 2 is a front end elevation of my starting crank, showing certain parts in dotted position, and Figs. 3 and 4 are vertical cross-sections on the lines 3-3, k4, respectively, Fig. 1.

In the drawings, like characters of reference refer to the same parts.

Although I have utilized a portion of a starting crank asused in a very well-known make of automobile, it must be understood that this is merely for the purpose of illustrating the use of my invention, and that the disclosure herein made is not to be construed as confining me to the use of my self-releasing starting crank with any particular type of automobile, because it is evident that my invention may be adapted for use in connection with internal combustion engines mounted for use in other fields, such as the driving or operation of agricultural implements, and stationary farm machinery.

A is the starting crank shaft, and the same is mounted in any suitable bearings such as B, through which it has longitudinal movement. C is an ordinary clutch carried by the starting crank shaft. Loosely mounted on the crank shaft A is a lever D,'the upper portion of which is provided witha handle E. Keyed to the crank shaft A is a be seen upon referring to Fig. 1 that this housing rests against the annular shoulder t formed on the outer side of the circular ratchet 2. This housing is provided with a flange 5 by means of which it is coupled to the lever D by means of cap screws 6, of their equivalent. This housing encases the disc F and ratchet 2, as well as a ring-clutch 7 which is mounted to surround the circular ratchet 2, and is of course-located between the disc F and the housing 3.

The ring-clutch 7 is chambered at 8, and in each of these chambers is pivoted, by means of pivots 9, a pawl 10, spring held in contact with the circular ratchet 2. Springs 1.1 are shown for this purpose, which springs of course aresuitably attached to the inner wall of the chambers 8. The disc F, aswell as the ring-clutch 7,are each provided with a notch 12 and 13 respectively, substantially of the same size. 14 is a pawl mounted'on the pin 15 held in the upper portion of'the lever D and in the vertical wall of the housing 3. This pawl extends for the full width of the disc-F and ring-clutch 7, as shown by dotted line 16, Fig. 1.

20 is a spring suitably coupled by the rivet 21 to the horizontal wall of the housing 3, and it will be observed upon referring particularly to Figs. '2, 3 and 4 that this spring holds the pawl 14 in contact with the disc F and ringsclutch 7. v v

When the device is to be put into operation, the lever D is turned so as to ultimately place the pawl 1% in both notches 12 and 13. Then pressure is exerted against the lever D longitudinally of the crank shaft A, thus moving this crank shaft so as to bring the starting crank clutch 0- into engagement with 'its'co-acting part (not shown). This movement moves the'coupling element-G until the pin 6 carried thereby enters the pocket 0 formed in the bearings B, and when rotary motion is applied to the said lever D, the coupling element G will be held-stationary, and thepawl 14 will carry around with itthe ring-clutch 7 and disc F. The

power transmitted through the disc F to the shaft A will give the desired movement to the pistons.

' As the described movement takes place, of course pawls 10 idly ride over the ratchet 2. Should the engine back fire, the movement of the crank shaft A will force the disc F in the direction indicated by arrow in Fig. 3, and thus carry the pawl 14 and lever D therewith. Since the coupling element G is held by its pin 7) against rotary movement, the pawls 10 will co-act with the circular ratchet 2 and so lock the ringclutch 7 against movement in the direction indicated by arrow in Fig. 3, and the consequence is that since the notch 13 is held against movement, as the disc F carries the lever D around, the pawl 14 as it rides up the face (Z of the notch 13, will be lifted out of the notch 12, and consequently the lever D will be uncoupled from the crank shaft A.

Mounted to surround the coupling element G is a coiled spring 7 which is compressed between the housing 3 and the pocket-provided portion of the bearings B, so that the coupling element G will be automatically released from the bearings B when pressure is released against the lever D.

When the pawl 1 f islifted out of the notch 12, it of course rides against the circular outer face of the disc F, and in this position it cannot again fall back into the notches 12 and 13.

The notch 13 is provided with a shoulder e which projects beyond the perimeter of the disc F and ring-clutch 7, and therefore provides a stop against which the pawl 14: will contact so that ultimately through movement of the ring-clutch 7 under the influence of the lever D, the notches l2 and 13 will again be brought into alignment, in which position they must be in order to obtain the advantages of this invention.

Various changes in details of construction may be effected without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. In combination a starting crank shaft mounted to be moved longitudinally to be coupled to the engine crank shaft; a springcontrolled coupling element loosely mounted on said starting crank shaft and adapted to be coupled to the mounting means therefor; a circumferentially notched disc keyed to said starting crank shaft; an exteriorly notch-provided ring-clutch mounted to re tate on said coupling element and adapted to turn freely in one direction only there- 'around; a lever loosely mounted on said starting crank shaft, and a spring-held pawl. carried by said lever and adapted to rest in the notches formed in said disc and ringclutch when said lever is operated to manually apply power to said starting crank shaft; the said pawl designed to be lifted;

:uesaoee by the sloping face of the notch in said ringclutch, when the latter is stationary, out of the notch in said disc to uncouple said lever from said starting crank shaft when the engine back fires.

2. In combination a starting crank shaft mounted to be moved longitudinally to be coupled to the engine crank shaft; a springcontrolled coupling elementloosely mounted on said starting crank shaft and adapted to be coupled to the mounting means therefor; an exteriorly notch-provided disc keyed to said starting crank shaft; a circumferci tially notched ring-clutch mounted to rotate on said coupling element and adapted to turn freely in one direction only therearound; a lever loosely mounted on said starting crank shaft; spring-held pawl carried by said lever and adapted to rest in the notches formed in said. disc and ring-clutch when said lever is operated to manually apply power to said starting crank shaft; the said pawl designed to be lifted by the sloping face of the notch in said ring-clutch, when the latter is stationary, out of the notch in said disc to uncouple said lever from said starting crank shaft when the engine back fires, and a stop or shoulder located at one end of the notch formed in said ring-clutch so that said pawl may contact therewith in order to ultimately move into alignment the exterior notches formed in said ringclutch and disc.

8. In combination a starting crank shaft mounted to be moved longitudinally to be coupled to the engine crank shaft; a springcontrolled coupling element loosely mounted on said starting crank shaft and provided at one end with a circular ratchet, and adapted to be coupled to the mounting means therefor; an exteriorly notchprovided disc keyed to said starting crank shaft; an exteriorly notch-provided ring-clutch mounted to rotate around the circular ratchet of said coupling element; a pair of spring pro vided pawls carried by said ring-clutch and adapted to co-act with said circular ratchet; a housing for said disc and said ring-clutch, and through which portion of said coupling element projects; a lever loosely mounted on said starting crank shaft, and to which said housing is coupled, and a spring-held pawl,

carried by said lever and housing and adapt ed to rest in the notches formed in said disc and ring-clutch when said lever is operated to manually apply power to said starting crank shaft; the said pawl designed to be lifted by the sloping face of the notch in said ring-clutch, when the latter is stationary, out of the notch in said disc to uncouple said lever from said starting crank shaft when the engine back fires.

4. In'combination a starting crank shaft mounted to be moved longitudinally to be coupled to the engine crank shaft; a spring i controlled coupling element loosely mounted on said starting crank shaft and provided at one end with a circular ratchet, and adapted to be coupled to the mounting means therefor; an exteriorly notch-provided disc keyed said starting crank shalt; an exteriorly' notch-provided ring-clutch mounted to 1'0- tate around the circular ratchet of said coupling element; a pair of spring provided pawls carried by said ring-clutch and adapted to co-act With said circular ratchet; a housing tor'said disc and said ring-clutch, and through Which portion of said coupling element projects; a lever loosely mounted on said starting crank shaft, and to which said housing is coupled; a spring-held pawl carried by said lever and housing and adapted to rest in the notches formed in said disc and ring-clutch When said lever is operated to manually apply power to said starting crank shaft; the said pawl designed to be lifted by the sloping face of the notch in said ring-clutch, When the latter is stationary, out of the notch in said disc to un couple said lever from said starting crank shaft When the engine back fires, and a stop or shoulder located at one end of the notch formed in said ing-clutch so that said pawl may contact therewith in order to ultimately move into alignment the exterior notches 

